Hot Gadget Hacks How-Tos
How To: 22 Features You Probably Overlooked on Your Samsung Galaxy
TouchWiz might not be the Android skin of choice for hardcore aficionados, but the Galaxy's OS still has a ton of great features up its sleeve that help provide one of the most enjoyable smartphone experiences out there. Many of these are relatively hidden and overlooked features that you may not be aware of.
How To: You Can Play Harry Potter Hogwarts Mystery on Your iPhone Right Now — Here's How
Mobile gamers who grew up on J.K. Rowling's fantasy epic have yet another reason to rejoice, as Jam City's Harry Potter: Hogwart Mystery is slated to touch down on both iOS and Android on April 25. But if you can't bear the wait, there's a little hack you can do to give the game a try right now.
Surprising Uses: Your Phone Makes an Excellent AR Tape Measure
Our phones have evolved past a simple pocket computer. They have become more like Swiss Army Knives, opening up possibilities that were previously considered Sci-Fi material. Thanks to the recent push into augmented reality, a new world of tools is becoming available to mobile users.
How To: Book Dinner Tables Directly from Apple Maps on Your iPhone
Apple has taken great strides to ensure that iPhone users are having an Apple Maps experience on par or even better than Google Maps can provide. One of the factors powering this is extensions, which adds functionality to certain apps by giving them permission to interact. Among all the possibilities, one extension will let you reserve dinner tables right from inside Apple Maps.
How To: Check Your Google Assistant History on Mobile
Privacy is a hot topic. In the wake of Facebook's data scandal, many want to safeguard their personal info. On the other hand, we all gain a certain amount of convenience by using services administered by huge companies like Google, Facebook, and Twitter. Google Assistant collects plenty of data, but you can easily check what is stored and delete items at will.
Instagram 101: How to Get Portrait Mode on Any Phone with Instagram's Focus Camera Format
Although more and more smartphones are introducing portrait modes with their cameras, there are still plenty of devices out there — especially devices older than one or two years — that do not. While your particular smartphone might not offer you that bokeh effect, Instagram can, as it gives all smartphones software-based portrait modes.
Instagram 101: How to Use Nametags to Quickly Add New Friends
Instagram is no stranger to stealing features from Snapchat. Stories, originally a Snapchat invention, feels more at home with Instagram today. Now, Instagram is attempting to repeat this feat with nametags, a way to quickly add new friends akin to Snapchat's Snapcodes.
Cheap Mods: Turn Your Phone into a Boombox with a Few Household Items
Even though smartphone audio quality has improved in recent years, the tiny built-in speakers aren't always loud enough. But if you want to turn the volume up to 11, all you need is a few household items to make a rig that will amplify your phone's speakers throughout the whole house.
How To: 33 Cool Little Android Features You Might Not Know About
One of Android's biggest strengths is its flexibility. There's usually more than one way to perform the same task, which makes it easy to find an alternate method that works better for you. Android also has some hidden features that newer users might not be aware of, so we made this list to highlight lesser-known tips and tricks.
How To: 7 Tips for Securing a Red iPhone 8 Before They Sell Out
Apple has introduced a special edition iPhone 8 and 8 Plus to bring attention to the ongoing worldwide battle against AIDS. As the second iPhones to carry the (PRODUCT)RED name, these rare iPhones may quickly sell out when preorders open up on Tuesday, April 10, at 5:30 a.m. (PDT), so we'll go over some tips to help you secure a red iPhone before it's gone.
How To: Gift iOS Apps, Games, Movies, Music, Books & TV Shows to iPhone Users
One of the best gifts that someone with an iPhone can receive is a paid app, hot new movie, bestselling album, gift card, or anything else in iTunes, Books, or the App Store that costs money. Even if it's a small $0.99 game that you heard a friend talking about, a gesture like this can go a long way. Gifting apps and media is now easier than ever, even if you don't have an iOS device yourself.
ARCore 101: How to Create a Mobile AR Application in Unity, Part 1 (Setting Up the Software)
If you've contemplated what's possible with augmented reality on mobile devices, and your interest has been piqued enough to start building your own Android-based AR app, then this is a great place to to acquire the basic beginner skills to complete it. Once we get everything installed, we'll create a simple project that allows us to detect surfaces and place custom objects on those surfaces.
How To: Here's What Google Maps Does with Your Data
With over 1 billion downloads on the Play Store alone, Google Maps has become a staple for those traveling. Its popularity is the result of Google consistently improving its accuracy and adding new functionality. And this was only achieved with help of you — specifically, your data.
Hacking WhatsApp: How to Schedule Messages to Send Automatically
Great ideas often strike at random times, but messaging friends and loved ones at an inopportune hour not only risks their wrath, but also increases the chances of your message not being paid proper attention to. Thankfully, there's an app that lets you create and post WhatsApp messages at the time you wish for maximum effect.
Snapchat 101: How to Share Custom Lenses & Filters with Friends That Won't Disappear
In late-2017, Snapchat debuted Lens Studio, a way for anyone to create their own augmented reality "world lenses" that can be shared to anyone with a Snapchat account. If you don't mind spending money, you can even create custom face lenses and basic overlay filters for special events. And while making lenses and filters have gotten pretty easy, distributing them is another matter entirely.
How To: How Google Uses Your Data to Improve Your Gmail Experience
Your email inbox is a treasure trove of personal data. The people you contact, your writing style, which messages you flag as spam — all of this information and more can be used to paint a clear picture of you. Google knows this as well as anybody, so they use this data to constantly improve your experience in Gmail.
How To: You Can Play Dead Rivals & Slaughter Zombies on Your iPhone Right Now
Mobile gamers are well aware of this, but zombie shooters have become pretty stagnant and unimaginative in recent years. Too many entries in this genre feature the same cookie-cutter gameplay, but thankfully, Gameloft aims to change this. The company has soft-launched Dead Rivals in a few countries, and with a little work, you can try the game yourself right now.
How To: Master Fortnite on Your iPhone with These Tips
Fans of Fortnite Battle Royale were understandably ecstatic when the smash hit arrived on mobile. While at first the game was restricted to invite-only, Fornite is now available to all on iOS. If you're just starting out, you're going to want to check out these expert tips to gain an advantage over the other new players.
How To: Play Netmarble's Firstborn Kingdom Come on Your iPhone Right Now
Netmarble has released a new MMORTS game called Firstborn: Kingdom Come to go up against competing games like Lords Mobile. Unfortunately, the game seems to be stuck in development as a soft launch in select countries, limiting its exposure to gamers worldwide. But don't let this hiccup deter you — we've found a simple workaround to play the game on your iPhone right now.
How To: Get Android 9.0 Pie's Volume Slider on Any Phone & Control Media Volume by Default
With the recent launch of the developer preview for Android 9.0 Pie, many are clamoring to get their hands on some of the new features. Unfortunately for most Android users, Android Pie will not arrive on their device until 2019. The good news is you can add one of Android Pie's biggest UI changes to your phone today with a simple app.
How To: See if Facebook Messenger Is Logging Your Calls & Texts (& Turn It Off)
It hasn't been a great year for Facebook. Recently, Android users had to discover on their own that the company was logging their calls and texts in Messenger. However, according to Facebook, all users did approve of the data collection, and as such, all affected users can disable logging as well.
How To: Spoof Your Location to Get Around MLB Blackouts on Your Android Phone
MLB.TV is a great service that lets you watch most Major League Baseball games in North America, as long as you're a subscriber, of course. While I personally love it, blackouts can ruin the ability to watch my favorite teams. Fortunately, MLB At Bat Android users have an easy way to bypass blackout restrictions — and with no root required.
How To: Turn Off Facebook Lite's Call & Text History Logging on Android
The Android world exploded when it was discovered that Facebook was logging the call and text histories of many of its users, although the company claims those users had explicitly given Facebook permission to log that data. The case remains that many users were unaware of this activity, which occurs on both Messenger and Facebook Lite. Luckily, it's very easy to disable.
How To: Use Business Chat on Your iPhone to Securely Interact with Companies via iMessage
Apple first announced Business Chat, a new way for customers to communicate with companies, at WWDC 2017. While Business Chat did not arrive with the initial release of iOS 11, Apple pushed it out in iOS 11.3 so companies can offer customer service in a whole new way, and it works pretty much the same in iOS 12 and higher as it did back then.
How To: What You Need to Know About the New Guided Missile in Fortnite Battle Royale
Epic Games just released update v3.4 for Fortnite Battle Royale on all four platforms. This new version brings a number of UI changes, performance improvements, and bug fixes, but the addition that will get the most players excited is a new weapon: the Guided Missile.
How To: Get Free Loot in Fortnite Battle Royale Using Your Amazon Prime Membership
Getting new loot can be challenging in Fortnite Battle Royale. Whether you decide to pay for the Battle Pass or stick with the Free Pass, you still need to put in 50+ hours to unlock all the items. For those of us with Amazon Prime subscriptions, there's another way to unlock free items, and it won't cost you an extra dime.
How To: 6 Reasons You Might Actually Want to Give Google Your Location Data
Google collects an enormous amount of personal data. While some of this data is used for targeted ads, others tidbits of info such as our location are used to improve our mobile experience. While it is natural for us to distrust Google's intentions, by allowing their data collection, we can add new functionality to our favorite apps.
Facebook 101: All the Facebook Privacy Settings You Need to Check
Before you go ahead and delete your Facebook — don't lie, you've been thinking about it — consider this. Facebook offers users a wide variety of privacy options to mess with, which can help you find a little control over your information. We're not saying this solves Facebook's privacy crisis, but it might be a more reasonable option than throwing in the towel entirely.
How To: Everything You Need to Disable on Your Galaxy S9 for Privacy & Security
Smartphones are like high tech buckets that collect our personal information through constant use. This has some obvious benefits, like getting a more personalized experience with our devices. On the other hand, this data is a tempting target for bad actors looking to make a buck at the expense of your privacy.
ARCore 101: How to Create a Mobile AR Application in Unity
Now that ARCore is out of its developer preview, it's time to get cracking on building augmented reality apps for the supported selection of Android phones available. Since Google's ARCore 1.0 is fairly new, there's not a lot of information out there for developers yet — but we're about to alleviate that.
Snapchat 101: 6 Privacy Settings You Need to Check on Android & iPhone
Since starting as a simple messenger with self-destructing pictures, Snapchat has grown into a full-fledged social media platform. As features were added, new permissions were requested, and we're all probably guilty of just tapping "OK" to try out the latest and greatest. But at some point, it's a good idea to review your settings to see what personal data you're putting out there for all to see.
How To: Customize Your Galaxy S9 with Squeeze Gestures
All the Android fans out there undoubtedly remember the squeeze gestures introduced with the HTC U11. Google continued the trend by bringing the gestures to the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. Thanks to a brand new app, you can now enable similar squeeze actions on your Galaxy S9 or S9+, and even some older Samsung phones.
AR Dev 101: Create Cross-Platform AR Experiences with Unity & Azure Cloud, Part 1 (Downloading the Tools)
In this series, we are going to get you to the edge of building your own cloud-based, cross-platform augmented reality app for iPhone, Android, HoloLens, and Meta 2, among other devices. Once we get the necessary software installed, we will walk through the process of setting up an Azure account and creating blob storage.
AR Dev 101: Create Cross-Platform AR Experiences with Unity & Azure Cloud, Part 2 (Installing Project Nether & MRTK)
As we aim for a wireless world, technology's reliance on cloud computing services is becoming more apparent every day. As 5G begins rolling out later this year and network communications become even faster and more reliable, so grows our dependency on the services offered in the cloud.
How To: Dead Zones on Your Galaxy S9 Touchscreen Giving You Trouble? Try This
Although the initial reception for the Galaxy S9 has been generally positive, recent reports paint a potentially bleak image — some S9 owners are complaining that their new devices have "dead zones" in their displays, which don't register their touch inputs. Luckily, there are steps you can take to fix this problem.
Slack 101: Escape the Constant Pings by Configuring DND & Away Settings
There are few apps or services better than Slack for keeping a team both communicative and productive. But it also makes it difficult to escape your job — after work hours and weekends should be yours, not Slack's. If you want to stop the barrage of notifications and messages on your time off, you should make use of Slack's "Do Not Disturb" and "Away" settings.
How To: This Galaxy S9 Camera Feature Makes It Easy to Take Pictures When Your Hands Are Full
Taking one-handed pictures with your phone can quickly devolve into a juggling act. You have to secure the phone in landscape mode (if you're doing it right), tap to focus, and then somehow hit the shutter button without shaking the device too much. Fortunately, Samsung has a nifty feature that'll help you keep a more secure grip on your Galaxy S9 or S9+ as you take photos with one hand.
How To: The Easiest Way to Share a Wi-Fi Password from Your iPhone to an Android Device
An awesome new feature appeared in iOS 11 that lets you easily share your Wi-Fi password to anyone else with iOS 11 or higher just by tapping "Share Password" on your iPhone when they try to connect to the same network. However, if your friend is using Android or another mobile OS, this feature doesn't help at all — but there's still an easier way than dealing with long, complicated passwords.
How To: Get the Blush Gold iPhone X — Announcement Date, Release Date & Where to Buy
Before the Sept. 2017 event held by Apple, we thought the new iPhone X would come in three different colors. While only a Space Gray and Silver option made it to the Nov. 2017 release, the missing third hue may finally be on its way, if the latest rumors are to be believed. If you can't wait for the new Blush Gold color, here's when and how you can expect to get your hands on one.
Hacking WhatsApp: How to See Messages That Someone Deleted
To help keep potential drama at bay, WhatsApp lets you delete questionable messages before the other person even sees them. If you're on the receiving end and you're curious about the deleted text, however, there's an Android app that lets you view erased messages.